Delhi: AAP asks MLA Alka Lamba to quit over Rajiv Gandhi resolution

Alka Lamba, legislator from Delhi, was asked to resign from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday, hours after the party denied passing a state assembly resolution apparently aimed at withdrawing late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s Bharat Ratna over his failure to curb the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Apparently, the circumstances that led to their rift remain unclear. While the party claims that Ms Lamba was adamant on passing the resolution recommending the withdrawal of the late Prime Minister’s award, the legislator says her decision to not support it angered party colleagues.

Alka Lamba,, as qouted by news agency ANI, “The party has asked for my resignation. I’m ready to resign but Rajiv Gandhi has sacrificed a lot for country and I didn’t support the proposal of taking back his Bharat Ratna. I’ve been asked to resign because I stood against the decision of the party.”

She also added, “I am ready to resign.”

Reportedly, the withdrawal of Rajiv Gandhi’s Bharat Ratna was passed as an amendment to a resolution seeking justice for victims of the Delhi riots. The party, however, later issued a clarification stating that the portion relating to the former Prime Minister cannot be considered a part of the resolution because it was ‘handwritten’.

Party MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj tweeted, “Lines about the late Rajiv Gandhi were not part of the resolution placed before the house and distributed among members. One MLA in his handwriting proposed an addition/amendment about the late Rajiv Gandhi. Amendments cannot be passed in this manner.”

Party MLA Somnath Bharti later, also weighed in on the matter and tweeted his opinion, “I clarify that the amendment was not put to vote as an amendment and hence, there is no question of passing the same. Hope this answers the dispute conclusively.”

Apparently, the resolution passed by the Delhi assembly noted that ‘justice continues to elude’ the families of the victims in what it termed as one of the worst genocides in the national capital’s history. In the resolution it was also asked to the city government to impress upon the Union Ministry of Home Affairs that it should take all necessary steps to include crimes against humanity in the country’s criminal laws, as recommended by the High Court in a recent judgement.

As reported, the Delhi Congress did not take kindly to reports of Mr Gandhi’s award being withdrawn, and responded by calling AAP the ‘B-Team of the BJP’ that has finally shown its ‘true colours’. The court further stated that the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, is given in recognition of ‘exceptional service/performance of the highest order’.

Notably, Alka Lamba, is the legislator from Chandni Chowk, and has long been at loggerheads with senior leaders in the party. Ms Lamba was removed from the post of party spokesperson for allegedly straying from the party line on former state transport minister Gopal Rai in 2016. Earlier, she is also known to have struck a different note from the party on the issue of electronic voting machines.